Superdurable fiber-reinforced composite enabled by synergistic bridging effects of MXene and carbon nanotubes

The corrosion of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite has given rise to a tricky problem with implications in many fields including civil, aerospace, and environment. The degraded mechanical performance of FRP caused by corrosion usually results from surface and interface corrosion, which is especially problematic in the humid and alkali environment. Herein, basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) reinforced with 3D MXene Ti3C2Tx/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanofillers with long-term stability was fabricated and the reinforced mechanism was investigated experimentally. Results show that the synergistic effect of MXene/CNTs can obviously enhance the interfacial adhesion between adjacent fiber yarns and increase the tensile strength and flexural strength of BFRP composite by 53.5% and 43.2%, with pure BFRP as a comparison. The effectiveness of MXene/CNTs to act as corrosion inhibitor was evaluated by alkali immersion testing. After 120 days of immersion in alkali solution, bare BFRP had a significant increase in surface defeats and roughness, which resulted in remarkable reduction in flexural strength. In contrast, MXene/CNTs-BFRP composite exhibited negligible changes in both surface roughness and flexural strength. Therefore, the present work provides the new hybrid carbon nanofillers with a unique structure, which makes FRP capable enough to serve in more complex environment.